Everyday Design We Love

Design is everywhere. It is such an integral part of our everyday lives, that sometimes really awesome feats in design are easy to overlook. B1 have each suggested an everyday piece of design which they love and, after you have read a little bit about each of these items, maybe you will look at them all a bit differently.

“Drunk Octopus” Coat Hangers

Interesting insight into our head designer here, whose top choice of everyday design was a coat hanger. But take a look at this blog’s header image – can you see a drunk octopus who wants to fight? Once you see it, you can’t un-see it! We hope this image provides you with some small joy every time you use these hangers.

London Tube Map

As a Londoner who gets lost daily, I (Emi) am indebted to the tube map. An efficient and effective guide that Londoner’s see every day, it is easy to overlook this feat in design. This way of mapping was the first of its kind, and can be fully appreciated if you take a look at theoriginal geographical tube maps!

The infamous tube map as we know it today was not created by a designer, but by an engineering draughtsman named Harry Beck. After being made redundant by the Underground Electric Railways Company of London (UERL), Beck used his free time to redesign the original geographical tube maps. What began as a personal project for Beck, was eventually sent to the UERL in 1931, following encouragement from his friends. Sadly, Beck was only given £10 for the rights to the map! But today, he is credited at the bottom of printed tube maps in London Underground stations.

Balanced-arm Lamps

Designed in the 1930s by British brand Anglepoise, the flexible desk lamp is so iconic that Pixar used it in their logo. Fun fact: in 1949 as part of his guidebook on moral standards, with the goal of eradicating smut from BBC programmes, the BBC’s Michael Standing forbade any BBC employee to use an Anglepoise lamp to light their office. His reasoning was that working under low-wattage lamps would encourage degenerate thinking!

Ikea Kallax

Love it or hate it, Ikea is an essential part of London living. How people got any furniture into their third-floor London apartments before the age of Ikea flat-pack, I have no idea. What I do know is that our design we love list would be incomplete if we did not pay homage to the trusty Ikea Kallax. This staple piece of furniture is the most sleek and versatile display/storage cabinet which takes centre place in our homes and offices. Not to mention, it makes for an ideal duck display unit in the B1 office!

The black and white penguin now represents one of the most renowned brands in the world.

Nespresso Creatista

It’s no secret that our creative success is fuelled by coffee (or treats, in Alfie T dog’s case). It therefore seems fitting that our new office coffee machine has the slogan “release your inner creativity”. For people who are serious about coffee, we needed a serious coffee machine, and this one does the trick! So, a big shout out to any home coffee-maker that can froth your milk and clean itself! Although, the b1 team still have far to go on the latte art front…

Penguin Book Covers

The iconic Penguin book cover design actually originated from Joan Coles, who was the secretary to the founder, Sir Allen Lane. Lane wanted a brand which was both “dignified but flippant” and Coles suggested a penguin.[1] After consideration, Lane agreed that the penguin represented the company’s ethos, and sent 21-year-old Edward Young to London Zoo to draw penguins. The black and white penguin now represents one of the most renowned brands in the world.

Clamp Lid Jars

Clamp lid jars are glass mason jars that are shut with wire. Also known as Lightning closure jars, this classic and practical design was invented in New York, 1875, by Charles de Quillfeldt. They are now available (and cheaply!) in all shapes and sizes at Ikea and many home stores across the UK – and are also the shining stars of many Pinterest pages!

Share the everyday designs you love with us on social media – we’d love to hear about them!